sandy koufax

[123] He was the final player chosen in the inaugural Israel Baseball League draft in April 2007, picked, at 71 years old, by the Modi'in Miracle. He won five straight NL ERA titles from 1962-66 and led the Dodgers to the NL pennant in 1963, 1965 and 1966, winning the World Series in 1963 and 1965. Welcome sports fans and collectors to SandyKoufax.com, the first and only authorized and approved website by Sandy Koufax.

Starting Game 7 on just two days of rest, Koufax pitched through fatigue and arthritic pain.

and to strike out more than nine batters (9 .28) per nine innings . Every single product on this site has been approved and licensed by Sandy Koufax. His parents were Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, Sephardic Jews of Hungarian descent.6The family lived in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. He was selected as an All-Star for six consecutive seasons[2] and made seven out of eight possible All-Star Game appearances those seasons (he was not on the roster for the second All-Star Game in 1962). Jackie Robinson, in his final season, clashed with Alston on Koufax's usage. In his last 10 seasons, batters hit .203 against him with a .271 on-base percentage and a .315 slugging Koufax's role includes attending a portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and

The lefty joins Cy Young himself as the only hurlers to include a perfect game among a group of at least three no-nos. [12] Koufax attended Brooklyn's Lafayette High School, where he was better known for basketball than for baseball. WebSandy Koufax Position: Starting Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Left 6-2 , 210lb (188cm, 95kg) Born: December 30, 1935 (Age: 87-078d) in Brooklyn, NY us More bio, uniform, draft, Explore the archives and go deep into the lives, careers, and stories of the Hall of Fame's honorees. [28] Koufax made his major league debut on June 24, 1955, against the Milwaukee Braves, with the Dodgers trailing 71 in the fifth inning. His life should be an inspiration for us all. [3][103] Koufax and Juan Marichal are the only two pitchers to have more than one 25-win season in the post-World War II era, with each man recording three. [104], "I knew every pitch he was going to throw and still I couldn't hit him. The game was not televised. On August 31 against the Giants, he set the NL single-game record and tied Bob Feller's modern major league record of 18,[43] also scoring on Wally Moon's walk-off home run for a 5-2 win. Although he rarely makes public appearances, he went to Turner Field in Atlanta for the introduction ceremony before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series.

[120], In 1999, The Sporting News placed Koufax at number 26 on its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players". Koufax jammed his pitching arm in August while diving back to second base to beat a pick-off throw. October 2, 1966 [89], Koufax and Drysdale did not report to spring training in February. He is also the first pitcher to win the award by a unanimous votea recognition which he accomplished twice more. He is an actor, known for 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Shotgun Slade (1959) and Michael Shayne (1960). In 1958, he began 73, but sprained his ankle in a collision at first base, finishing the season at 1111 and leading the NL in wild pitches. Koufax's role includes attending a portion of Spring Training to work with Dodger pitchers and WebSanford Sandy Koufax, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, was referred to as the man with the golden arm.. WebSandy Koufax was born on December 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. [3][67][85], Before the 1966 season began, Koufax and Drysdale met separately with general manager Buzzie Bavasi to negotiate their contracts for the upcoming year.

With a limited baseball background, Koufax struggled with control at first, but used his raw talent to begin regularly throwing for the Dodgers in 1958, when the team moved to Los Angeles. [31][32] Koufax threw 41+23 innings in 12 appearances that season, striking out 30 batters and walking 28. The game was not televised.

He was the first pitcher to win in back-to-back years, a club that has now grown to 11. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. What I don't understand is how he lost five,"[68] to which Dodger shortstop Maury Wills responded, "He didn't. He has been hailed as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. [90] [33] During the fall, he enrolled in the Columbia University School of General Studies, which offered night classes in architecture. Koufax returned to Los Angeles to consult with Kerlan, who advised him that he would be lucky to be able to pitch once a week. Obama continued: "He can't pitch on Yom Kippur. 11,269th in major league history) In 1954, he signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers that contained a bonus which required at the time for Koufax to report to the major league team for two years.

"[110][111], In 1967, Koufax signed a 10-year contract with NBC for US$1million (equivalent to $8.1million in 2021) to be a broadcaster on the Saturday Game of the Week. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, April 5, 11:12AM. was a member of Dodgers' world championship teams in 1955, '59, '63 and '65, earning MVP honors in 1963 and [129] In addition, there were other Jewish holidays where he said he would not pitch, including Seder night of Passover and 3 times on Rosh Hashanah, one of which was Game 4 of the 1959 World Series. [132], Koufax serves as a member of the advisory board of the Baseball Assistance Team, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping former major league, minor league, and Negro league players through financial and medical difficulties.

Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Facing the Yankees in the 1963 World Series, Koufax beat Whitey Ford 52 in Game 1 and struck out the first five batters and 15 overall, breaking Carl Erskine's decade-old record of 14 (a record that would fall to Gibson's 17 in the 1968 World Series opener). Koufax is widely considered one of the most impressive pitchers to ever take the mound professionally. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Despite that, Koufax threw nearly 1,200 regular-season innings over his last four years and piled up 36.3 pitching WAR.

He was just 30 years old, and he was retiring after a [107] It not only appeared to move very late but also might move on multiple planes.

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On June 4, 1972, Koufax's uniform No . Since then, no left-hander has had more wins, nor a lower ERA; only Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton matched the 27-win mark, in 1972. [9][10] His parents, Evelyn (ne Lichtenstein) and Jack Braun, divorced when he was three years old. He was only 36 years old, a sign both of how dominant he was at his best and the premature end to his career. Years later he recalled, "That winter was when I really started working out. Actually, he would let you look at it. [70][71], Koufax's 1964 season started with great expectations. (Age 19-176d, He ended up with a third pitcher's Triple Crown, pitching 323 innings, posting a 279 record, and recording a 1.73 ERA. This aided in his devastating curveball and may have increased his velocity, but reduced the lateral movement on his pitches, especially movement away from left-handed hitters. Tickets.

We will offer fans the opportunity to buy signed and unsigned items. Whats amazing about Koufax is that he played for one team the Dodgers but he had two entirely different careers. I can't pitch. Sandy Koufax, byname of Sanford Koufax, original name Sanford Braun, (born Dec. 30, 1935, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.), American professional baseball player who, despite his early retirement due to arthritis, was ranked among the sports greatest pitchers. Teammate Ed Palmquist missed the flight, so Koufax was told he would need to pitch at least seven innings. Then there's today, Dec. 30, the birthday of three American athletes of whom you may have heard: Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Sandy Koufax . He had two wins in 1955, which were both shutouts. [11] He later earned a partial scholarship.

[94] Alston lifted Koufax at the end of the sixth inning,[94][95] with the idea of getting him extra rest before a potential fifth game. Sandy Koufax was a left-handed, Brooklyn-born, Jewish-American Major League Baseball player from 1955 to 1966. WebSanford Sandy Koufax, one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, was referred to as the man with the golden arm.. Hello, Hall: Inducted at 36Koufaxs peak was so impressive that even though he hung up his spikes at age 30, there was no doubt that he was Hall of Fame-worthy. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Koufax is the only pitcher to finish first in the Majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts in the same season three different times since earned runs became an official stat in both leagues in 1913. WebSandy Koufax is a former American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played in 12 seasons for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. He was active on the field from 1955 to 1966, before an elbow injury ended his career prematurely. On July 20 he hit the second and last home run of his career, coincidentally again in Milwaukee, a three-run shot to propel the team to a 5-4 win; it was his only game with three runs batted in. He managed to pitch and win two more games.

Koufax won the NL MVP Award and the Hickok Belt, and was the first-ever unanimous selection for the Cy Young Award. How overwhelming was Koufax in those last six seasons? He was diagnosed by Dodgers team physician Robert Kerlan with traumatic arthritis.

On June 30 against the expansion New York Mets, he threw his first no-hitter.

[34], The year 1956 was not very different from 1955 for Koufax. [83], Koufax declined to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series in order to observe the Jewish religious holiday of Yom Kippur. By July, though, his entire hand was becoming numb and he was unable to complete some games.